MOISHE BRULL is 3 years old, a big boy in the eyes of his family and Baltimore's extended family of orthodox Jews. At 3, an orthodox child participates in two rituals, commonly held over two days. On the first day, a child gets his first haircut, during which unhappy moments can occur. On the second day, there's a "dipping" ceremony, during which honey is placed on the Hebrew alphabet and on a passage from Leviticus. Then, the child's finger is wiped through the honey and placed in his mouth to taste. For thousands of years, this ceremony of associating sweetness with learning the Bible marks a major moment in a family's life.